6.5-6
Enūma eliš 6.5-6 · Made to bear the gods’ toil
Why humans? The poem answers in one line.
· · ·
5𒇻𒌒𒉌𒈠lilâ𒀀𒈨𒇻
6𒇻𒌑𒂗𒁺𒌋𒌆𒇻𒀭𒈨𒌍𒈠𒋗𒉡𒇻𒌋𒉺𒀸𒄷
the lines as the scribe pressed them into the clay, read left to right
lu-ub-ni-ma1
lubnima
I will createlet me build
lilâ2
lullâ
the firstraw
a-me-lu3
amēlu
man;human
; lu-ú4
lū
letmay
dul-lu5
dullu
the toilthe work
ilāni-ma6
ilānīma
of the gods
en-du7
endū
be laid on [him]imposed
, šu-nu8
šunu
that they
lu-u9
lū
maylet
pa-aš-ḫu10
pašḫū
restbe at ease
. I will create the first man; let the toil of the gods be laid on [him], that they may rest.
I will create the first man; let the toil of the gods be laid on [him], that they may rest.
6.7-8
Enūma eliš 6.7-8 · The gods divided in two
Marduk also reorganises the gods themselves.
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7𒇻𒊭𒀭𒉌𒈠𒀠𒅗𒅗𒋾𒀭𒈨𒌍𒇻𒅘𒆠𒅋
8𒅖𒋼𒎙𒇻𒁺𒁍𒌅𒈠𒀀𒈾𒅆𒈾𒇻𒌑𒍣𒍪
the lines as the scribe pressed them into the clay, read left to right
I will change the ways of the gods [and] rework [them] with art: let them be honoured alike, [but] divided into two [groups].
The gods have been doing the hard work of the world themselves. Humans are made to take it over, so the gods can rest. The word for the work, dullu, is the word Babylonian letters use for labour crews digging canals.
Genesis gives the first man work too, Genesis 2:15 (KJV): “And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.” And it is God who rests, Genesis 2:2: “and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.”